Android style Autocorrect found hidden in iOS 5

Ian | Latest News | November 10, 2011

Apple have a hidden Android style Autocorrect within iOS 5

Various reports have popped up across the interweb since the release of iOS 5 about hidden and yet to be unreleased features being found by hackers. The latest concerns the Keyboard in iOS 5 and a feature which offers suggestions of words on a bar above the keyboard.

This feature is already something that Android users take advantage of, which had lead to speculation that Apple have withheld it to avoid pouring yet more petrol on the endlessly burning patent issues flame.

So what does it look like? Well intriguingly you don't need to do any jail breaking or hacking to see the feature in action. You just need to switch to a Japanese keyboard:

So that's all good and well if you speak Japanese but what if you want to have it on your iPad with a United Kingdom keyboard? Well most the internet will say you'll have to jailbreak your precious iDevice. You can do this to add extra features but we recommend you don't unless your an experienced user that enjoys hacking or your frustrated and wish you'd bought an Android.

What if you don't want to jailbreak but your an advanced Mac user? In that case this guide over at Gizmodo will show you how to enable this feature. Do proceed with caution though and don't say that we haven't warned you.

It remains to be seen if Apple will add this feature for all users in the future. If so it will be an interesting twist in the battle between Apple and other companies implementing Android.

‘My Top 3 iPhone annoyances’ by an Android devotee

Ian | The UsedMac Blog | August 16, 2011

My friend George is an Android fan and hardcore Microsoft devotee. He even owns a pair of Microsoft branded socks (however claims these where a freebie along with a copy of Vista Ultimate from a Microsoft event. Insert your own Sock/Vista joke). However he's sadly just lost his HTC Desire so has been borrowing his girlfriends iPhone 4. This was a ripe opportunity for him to tell me what he didn't like. George, take it away:

I thought I had to tell you about some things I found with it that I not used to, after being with the HTC for a year:

Number 3

I really notice the lack of haptic feedback when pressing buttons. Typing, it's ok, I don't know why but perhaps because the actions are so fast and responsive. But touching a button without getting that little vibration to acknowledge it was strange for me, a bit like trying to press the "buttons" on our ceramic hob.

Number 2:

Every notification that appeared - be it SMS, Twitter update, new Wi-Fi network detected - came up in a modal box. This was very different to android where there is hardly any interruption; messages appear in the top bar and scroll through line by line, but you don't get popups that take away focus. If you're in the middle of a word, you have to retype it, which is odd.

And Number 1:

OK, this is just a re-hash of my normal gripe.... but why couldn't I download Spotify on the App store? I'm in Switzerland, where Swiss users can't legally use Spotify. But it's not like Spotify doesn't check on its servers that if you are trying to log in on a free account, or sign up, from Switzerland, and block it. I am entitled to use it when I'm over here, given I'm from the UK and pay for a premium account, so "what gives"?

Well obviously Number 2 is about to be resolved with iOS 5's new notifications. Hey some might well of picked up on the similarities between Android's notifications and the new Notification Centre in iOS 5, but we couldn't possibly comment.

What do you think? Does Android have the iPhone beaten here?

Android App hacks your own phone

Ian | The UsedMac Blog | August 4, 2011

A somewhat worrying article here in the Guardian, although some what apt given the papers exposures of phone hacking recently in the News of the World. According to Josh Halliday, an app on the Android Marketplace called 'System Messages' actually appears to be a 'Trojan App'. It can record your calls without you knowing, even using the AMR codec, which is optimised for voice quality recordings.

Some Android based smart phones like the HTC Desire HD are impressive bits of kit, but this does again highlight the lack of quality control in its App Store. For all the debate about Apple's strict control of its App Store, your unlikely to have to run an Anti Virus app on your iPhone.

An iPhone users life with Android

Ian | The UsedMac Blog | June 4, 2011

Here's an interesting blog from Ryan Heise. He's an iPhone fan that has also used Blackberry's, Windows Phone 7 and others for a decent amount of time. He's decided to move over to a Nexus S and spend some time with it in order to give a fair comparison between the iPhone and the largest rival platform Android.

For those of us still with older iPhones that have slowed up and got frustrated with Apple, the draw of Android becomes strong when you feel you are ready for a change. So this will be interesting to see how Ryan gets on:

It’s been a week with my Nexus S; one filled with way too many ups and downs. Ups: Gmail and notifications. Down: a physical feeling of dread when I pull out my phone. I’m being overly dramatic. It’s actually gotten better. I don’t outright hate Android, but there’s a learning curve, to be sure.

I've just added it to my Google Reader.

What’s the worse time to buy an Android? Any is the answer

Ian | The UsedMac Blog | January 16, 2011

Now it's not like us to have a dig at Android here at UsedMac (Pardon? Ed). Well, ok, sometimes. We are though fair and impartial about our views on all smartphone devices. If the iPhone is being a bit rubbish at something (cough: iOS 4.0 on older iPhone 3G's), we'll say it. If an Android device is way ahead, we'll also give it a mention. In fact if you want better Google Maps and to be able to create your own wireless hotspot at the moment, then Android 2.2 is the way to go.

If there's one weakness of Android currently though, it's the way in which handset manufacturers control the update process. Despite all the talk of Android being 'open' and Apple's iOS being a 'closed' platform, Apple do have a very consistent and clear upgrade route. For instance, if you buy a new iPhone 4, you will pretty much know that by this summer, Apple will announce a successor. In fact Apple's release cycles are becoming aligned with big fashion brands: each product is overhauled and updated annually. Pretty apt given their desirability.

Got an older iPhone? Well with the exception of the original iPhone you can still update for free to the latest version of iOS, even if some older models wont get all the features. Apple make this clear though and you can do it yourself for free.

What about on Android though? It's not so easy. So many devices from different mobile phone manufacturers, all running slightly different versions of Android. So you're at the mercy of, say, Sony Ericcson deciding to update to Android 2.2 if your own an Xperia X10. Mercy it is too, because increasingly they aren't bothering.

So we love this little graphic from DesignDare. It's spot on:

Google announces the Nexus S – S for Samsung

Ian | Latest News | December 6, 2010

Speak Now: SPEAK GODAMMIT

Google have announced a return to selling 'pure' Android phones with their new handset. The Nexus S, with the S this time seemingly standing for Samsung rather than Speed (in the iPhone 3GS's case), will run the lastest version of Android: 2.3 aka 'Gingerbread'.

The handset itself appears to be a reworking of the Samsung Galaxy S. Nonetheless the specs look good: a 1GHZ 'Hummingbird' processor (i.e. fast), 16GB of storage, 4 inch AMOLED display, 5MP camera and 720P video, the usual 2.1 Bluetooth but faster N wifi.

Much work has been done on the user interface in an attempt to get closer to the intuitive experience of the iPhone. Google's Android deserves its status as a powerful and feature rich mobile OS. It's far from lacking in power and functionality, but even for a power user like ourselves, we often get frustrated with the lack of intuitiveness to 'Froyo' user interface.

What else is new? Well the keyboard has been refined, as well as Copy and Paste. It gains One Touch word selection, highlighting that the Nexus S has no cursor button or 'nipple' controller like other Android phones.

Google will sell the phone direct unlocked and it will also be available from the Carphone Warehouse at the end of the month. Current pricing looks like it could be free on £35 a month contracts or around £550 outright SIM free.

Apparently it offers a 'HD Like' multimedia experience. So not HD, but er, close. It seems the term HD is extremely open to interpretation now. We look forward to seeing how it stacks up against the iPhone 4..

Google to make another iPhone ‘Killer’

Ian | Latest News | October 31, 2010

HTC Desire: Best iPhone alternative, so far

Interesting bit of speculation over on The Register concerning Google and Samsung. They are said to be developing a 'Nexus 2' together, to follow up the Nexus One handset.

This time though the talk is that the phone will be made by Samsung and not HTC, who developed the Nexus One as well as the early Android handset, the G1.

Unlike the Nexus One though, Google is unlikely to sell this directly from their marketplace. This experiment was deemed a bit of failure, so I suspect it will never get beyond Beta. Just like Google Wave.

The report states that Samsung will work on the hardware, with Google looking after all the software. For me this is a good thing for Android. One thing that would put me off an Android against an iPhone is the inconsistency in the user interface. If I buy a HTC Desire, it will use HTC's elements of UI design, just as if I was to buy a Sony Ericsson. At least with the iPhone it will always be consisted. The only time an Android handset has appealed to me though was with the Nexus One. I liked the idea of this running a 'pure' version of Android, so we could see exactly what the OS is like on its own.

Version 3 of Android - Gingerbread (Google have traditionally named their versions after cakes and deserts, all good fun) is expected to be another big leap forward for the OS, particularly in the UI stakes.

Could it be about to get iOS sexy?

Quick play with a HTC Desire

Ian | Uncategorized | August 24, 2010

An Eclair. Not a mobile OS. Well apart from the last version of Android.

I managed to get a play with a mate's HTC Desire tonight in the pub. It was running the HTC Sense version of Android 2.1 (Eclair).

So first impressions: Quick, geekier than iPhone. Few nice features. The interface needs polish and lacks intuitiveness though. It also lacks consistency. Different apps can have different menus.

So for me Android is getting there, but it felt a bit scrappy and inconsistent at times.

I couldn't help but feel that it lacked the polish of iOS. It's going to be very interesting to see what it feels like by the time Android hits version 3.

Lets be honest:

They're going to need to get that level of 'fit and finish' if manufacturers like LG are aiming to build 'a better iPad' with Android OS.

LG promises a ‘better iPad’

Ian | Latest News | August 23, 2010

Ancient Stone: Probably less rare than a Windows 7 Tablet

LG have announced that they will develop an iPad rival that will run Google's Android operating system.

The Wall Street Journal article suggests that despite them being late to the Smartphone game, they plan to catch up in the next year, launching 10 more smartphones into the market.

They say that the iPad rival they will develop will go a step further than the iPad and be an enabler to content creation. Chang Ma, Vice President of marketing for LG's mobile line is quoted as saying "Our tablet will be better than the iPad."

Big words indeed. I hope LG have the goods to back this up. After all, competition does us all good.

It has been, after all, easy to criticise the iPad as only effective for playing your videos or reading eBooks.

Have they not seen iWork for iPad? Or used it to make notes?

Surely you'd never be able to remix Eye of the Tiger on it. Oh.

Another Open Android Triumph…

Ian | The UsedMac Blog | August 8, 2010

Another triumph for Openness on Android...

https://twitter.com/vodafailuk/status/20621856428

Apple have shown they won't be dictated to by networks. I've had some shockingly network branded mobiles over the years, seems a shame that Android is going to get watered down like this.

The beauty of the iPhone is you don't get any bloatware, just the option of installing a Network Operator app if they decide to build one like Orange

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Apple have a hidden Android style Autocorrect within iOS 5

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